A fire hose for a burning crisis: a dark website

How a dark website can help crisis communication

Distributing factual information quickly is crucial in a crisis. Stakeholders - particularly those directly impacted by the crisis - will turn to your website for information.

Many organisations are unprepared and caught off-guard, unable to quickly upload information, particularly after-hours. Crises do not always happen during office hours. This situation adds to an information vacuum and reinforces the perception the organisation has failed to prepare and is incapable or managing the situation. So, what is the solution? A ‘firehose’ web page. Put simply, it is an offline page but part of the organisation's website. Much like a firehose, the page is ready to roll out, is easily accessed (either linked from the homes page or replacing the homes page), and set up with relevant information.

The page is pre-built with appropriate generic information, such as contact numbers, and holding areas for media statements, video statements, advice on what to do and so on.

The page can be easily and quickly adapted for each situation. Firehose web pages save time by providing information to audiences at the same time. Importantly, the organisation maintains control over the information, rather than a third party such as critics or the media.

The firehose page must be updated before issuing public information through other channels otherwise it will reduce the site's credibility as a source of current factual information and potentially ignored.